A suspected poacher has been mauled to death by a pack of lions in South Africa.

In what could be seen as an ironic turn of events, the remains of a man were found Saturday morning at a private game reserve in the northern province of Limpopo. According to the news site Independent Online, the area has seen an increase in the number of animals hunted illegally in recent years.

Local police said very little of the man's body was left in the aftermath of the grisly attack. "It seems the victim was poaching in the game park when he was attacked and killed by lions. They ate his body, nearly all of it, and just left his head and some remains," a spokesperson for Limpopo police told AFP.

A loaded hunting rifle was found near the body. The police are trying to identify the deceased and are asking anyone with information on the man to contact them.

A worker on the nature reserve told the Daily Mail that the area is lion territory. "A scream was heard and the lions were scattered by the sound of gunshots but it was too late to do anything for him. He was eaten," the worker said.

Lions are often hunted for their bones which are crushed and used in medicines in Asia. Their pelts are also coveted by trophy hunters.

Last month, a Croatian trophy hunter met his own demise when he was accidentally shot dead while on a lion-hunting expedition in South Africa. Hotelier Pero Jelinić had already killed one lion and was searching for another when he was shot by one of his party. He was airlifted to hospital but later died.